WALLED LAKE - A little more than a year after Central Michigan saw Gavin DeVooght pitch for the first time, a commitment was made.

“It all started in July of 2021 when they saw me pitch,” the Walled Lake Central senior reflected. “After that I went to a camp there in August and I talked to them there. They said they’d keep an eye on me through the next offseason. We emailed back and forth and I kept them updated.

“Then in February I went to another camp and showed I’d gained velo. That’s when they told me they wanted to get me on a visit. I went in late March and that’s when they offered. After that I took my time to make sure.”

An offer from Michigan State and talks with Illinois, Ball State and Wright State took place, but the 12th-ranked 2023 right-handed pitcher in Michigan decided that the university in Mount Pleasant, located an hour and 45 minutes from home, was right for him.

“I really like coach Bischel,” DeVooght said in reference to the head coach at CMU, Jordan Bischel, who has led the Chippewas to two regular season titles and one tournament championship in the Mid-American Conference in his three years at the helm. “It always seemed that he wanted me there. In addition to that, they’ve got a great team and they win. That’s a bonus.”

Bischel and company found a lot to admire about the 6-5 230-pounder.

“They like how tall I am and the way that I use my offspeed,” DeVooght related.

The commitment brought an end to a recruiting process that “started pretty slow” according to the hard-throwing right-hander.

“At the start of the summer of 2021 nothing was there until I saw coach Bischel watching me,” DeVooght noted. “That was it for the rest of the summer. But in December I threw 91 in a bullpen and I posted it on Twitter. After that everything blew up.”

So how did DeVooght make strides with his velocity?

“I worked hard in the weight room and I added a lot of mobility,” the 33rd-rated senior in the state explained. “I also worked on my mechanics with a pitching coach. All those things combined helped my velo and command of my pitches get better.”

High school head coach Tom Henig and trainers Greg Haeger and Kyle Fedorka are credited by DeVooght with making a difference in his game.

“All three really helped me out with video, coaching and advice,” the 17-year-old said.

It has DeVooght on track to fulfill a long-time dream of playing at the next level. 

“Something I always wanted to do as a kid was play baseball in college,” DeVooght related. “But not until the summer of ’21 did I realize that I could do it.”

The Walled Lake Central senior is confident he can make an impact at Central Michigan.

“I want to get there and contribute in any way that I can, as a starter or reliever,” DeVooght said. “I’ll do anything to do that. I’m a great teammate and will help keep everyone fired up.”

Speaking of fired up, that was the feeling DeVooght had once a commitment to CMU was made.

“Everything became less stressful,” DeVooght admitted. “In waiting to make a decision I felt a lot of stress, but once I made it I knew it was the right decision. Everyone was excited for me, my family and teammates.”

Business is the planned major for DeVooght, a 3.2 student ready for his final year of high school before life as a college student-athlete begins.

“I’m really excited to play college baseball,” DeVooght said. “Watching all the video, that environment seems like a lot of fun. I’m also looking forward to developing while I’m there. The goal is to play pro baseball and I hope to do all the right things to make that happen.”